The Agency Growth Engine Show

Your agency will fail at hiring effective salespeople if you make these Top 3 Mistakes….. It’s a well-known problem in the small to midsize agency space that salespeople are hard to find and usually end up bombing in their roles. This is why most agency owners give up and just keep doing the sales role themselves. But it’s the hardest way to scale and grow. Plus, when you go to sell your business and you are leaving the agency, the new buyers consider your agency acquisition “high-risk” when the top (or only) salesperson is taking off. Join Trice and Ryan on Episode 34 of The Agency Growth Engine Show and learn why most agencies fail at hiring effective sales roles. But in the meantime, here’s the 3 Big Mistakes in Agency Hiring we discuss….. 1. Agency tries to hire an Account Manager/Sales hybrid role. Guess what, these two roles are two completely different people. They will either be a great account manager or a great salesperson but you will be disappointed because they will only be great at one of these roles. 2. You hire a salesperson without someone to manage them. Salespeople get frustrated when they don’t have a friend in the fight. They need constant clear direction and someone who will enjoy talking to them about their opportunities, challenges and victories. 3. The salesperson’s pay structure does not set the up to win! Properly setting up the base pay and commission is challenging to non-sales experience agency owners. I know you don’t want to overpay AND risk low performance/results. But by getting the instant gratification pay and the long-term reward for building a book of business correct, you can have a salesperson for a long time. I still agree that hiring salespeople for agencies is very challenging. But it can be done with success if you understand how these 3 Hiring Mistakes cause the role to fail before they ever get started. What hiring successes or fails have you had in hiring for sales roles? Learn more about Marketing Agency Coaching and Selling at Healthy Brands Agency Coaching and Selling website.

Before you hire a marketing agency, make sure they eat their own food!!! How do marketing agencies self-promote? Do they post as often as they are telling you to post? Why or why not? How do they generate leads? Is it the same way they are telling you to do it? I'm gonna cut right to it friends! If a marketing agency is telling you to do paid ads to generate leads, is that what they are doing? Or do they say "no, that doesn't work for us?" If they say you have to post twice a day, take a look at their social media accounts to find out how often they are posting. Ask them about their own lead generation tactics and what they have found successful. The reason why I ask is that often time I find that marketing agencies don't do the same things because they don't see the ROI or time. Remember this.... There are short-term strategies and long-term strategies. Your marketing agency should understand and do both. The best way to tell if an agency is truly accountable for their results is to investigate if they "do what they say". Does your marketing agency "walk the talk" or just "talk the talk?" Ask, them that if they would spend their own marketing budget on those tactics. If not, what would they change and why? Let's get into it on Episode 33 of "The Agency Growth Engine Show". We deep dive into one of my all time-agency pet peeves and why it's important. Learn more about marketing agency coaching and brokering from www.heathybrands.com. Learn more about the hosts on LinkedIn Ryan Parshall Trice Alford

Most wait until it’s too late to prepare to sell their marketing agency. Here’s why…. You can drastically increase the value of your marketing agency when you go to sell it by getting ahead of it 2-3 years before you’re ready to exit. It doesn’t mean you can’t sell your agency if you didn’t prepare, it just means you are poised to exit in style and plenty more cash in your pocket. In episode 32 of “The Agency Growth Engine Show” with Trice Alford and me, Ryan Parshall break down the Top 7 Ways to Prepare to Sell Your Marketing Agency. Here’s a snapshot of the topics we cover… 1. Clean & Clear Financials in Quickbooks 2. Upward Trending Revenues, Profits & Clients 3. Recurring Monthly Revenue 4. Client to Overall Revenue Ratio % 5. Good Leadership & Processes  6. Owner Operated vs Passive Income 7. Opportunity for Growth Listen or watch this podcast episode as we tell you why these are important and what potential buyers want to see. It could make the difference in you getting nothing for your agency or a 5x multiplier.  Go out on top, in style and really feel the reward of your hard work when you decide to sell your agency. Don’t have any regrets. Understanding these valuable tips will be the best starting point! Have you bought or sold an agency? Please add your comments and tell us what you valued most and what you learned in the process.  Learn more about Healthy Brands Marketing Agency Coaching or Brokering Services.

Have you ever wondered who would buy your marketing agency? Wonder no more as Trice Alford and Ryan Parshall break down the 6 Buyer Types for Marketing Agencies on this episode of the Agency Growth Engine Show. Find out which ones are best equipped to take over and scale and grow it. Here's a sneak preview.... The Dreamer They dreamed of owning their own business, have plenty of money in savings and thought they would try their hand at running a marketing agency? For them, agency life seems glamorous and profitable. The Entrepreneur They have owned a business, have been very successful, sold it and decided they would try their hand at invest in and run an agency. They have money burning a hole in their pocket and they need to reinvest for tax purposes. The Investor They have a lot of money but are very frugal with it. They will invest but see things though an accountants/auditors eyes. They want to buy a cash cow and have not patience for small margins or non-repeatable processes. The Marketing Leader They have worked in an agency before and ready to run their own. They can literally walk into your business and keep running marketing teams and client services with very few problems. Private Equity Firms "Roll-Ups" Usually a group of people or partners buying many agencies to grow and scale using their business experience so that they can sell years later for a multiplying ROI. They like to buy low and sell high and have a proven process for scaling and growing. The Current Agency Owner The best buyers possible. They know what they are getting into and have a history of success in leading teams and an agency. If they have the money and your agency adds value, additional services and/or the right clients, they are all in! Their you have it! When you go to put your agency on the market, these are the people that show interest and are looking to buy. Watch the full episode to find out which ones are the best buyers for your agency! Learn more about Healthy Brands Agency Selling, Buying and Brokering services at www.healthybrands.biz.

Have you ever wondered if you could buy a digital marketing agency? In Episode 30 of the Agency Growth Engine Show, not only do you learn the 5 Ways to Buy a Marketing Agency, but how others create deal structures to acquire, grow and scale their agencies. You may have money burning a hole in your pocket and a strong desire to own your own marketing agency both. This podcast episode is for you. Or if you don’t think owning an agency is feasible, educate yourself on how deals get done. It often takes less money than you think! Let me break down the options for you…. 1. Cash Buys (doesn’t happen often): Some people or buyer groups have the capital to offer cash, can be creative on deal structure and can close quickly. 2. Cash/Seller Financing Combo: a popular acquisition deal structure between Seller/Buyer usually when the agency seller is desperate or already has the buyer decided. The Buyer presents enough cash down to make the deal happen while the remainder of the buyout is paid month/quarterly over a duration of years. 3. Traditional Loan (rarely happens): the Buyer has a bank relationship where they can bypass SBA Loan rules and be creative at structuring the deal. With higher interest rates than an SBA Loan, this is not a popular choice for most. 4. SBA Loan (full buyout): the large majority of agency deals are done using an SBA Loan. Interest rates are lower than traditional loans and the money is guaranteed/backed by a the bank lender and the government. It only takes 10% down in most cases. More details on the podcast! 5. SBA Loan (equity buyout): New on the scene Aug. 1, 2023 is the option to by a current owner out. With this option the current owner can retain up to 20% of the shares of the agency and the Buyer only has to buy or get a loan for the remaining shares. This exciting new options is also great for current employees to buy into the agency as long as they have the minimum down for the SBA loan. Whether you have the saving to acquire an agency now or you need to start saving up to make an acquisition, listen to me, Ryan Parshall and Trice Alford as we serve up the details! Have you acquired an agency or business? Which option did you use? What was your experience like? Learn more about Healthy Brands Coaching and Brokering services at www.healthybrands.biz

Companies who hire marketing agencies assume your agency can do it faster, better and make their lives easier….is it true? Episode 20 of The Agency Growth Engine Show is live and if you own an agency, it’s time to check yourself before clients start jumping overboard as you fail to make their lives better. Do you? Make their lives better that is? Trice Alford has spend much of his career on the client-side hiring and working with agencies and he clears up how agencies can deliver clear communication and top-shelf service with these tips… 1. Streamlined Communication… - Every agency says “we’re really good at communication”. But very few times have I heard agency “clients” say the same. You need clear, clean and concise communication and reporting. Don’t overdo it. Don’t under do it. - Make sure they can understand and quickly digest what you send them. They often don’t care about your pages of analytics and reporting. That’s what they are paying you for. Just give them the high level and don’t interrupt unless what you promised isn’t happening. - Are you meeting weekly with your clients? That’s probably too often and is annoying to your clients. Only meeting/talking once a month, may not be enough? Learn what “meeting pulse” your clients want and figure out what touch points you need in between. Want to know the right amount of communication is? Ask your clients. 2. Truly Understanding Clients, Their Industry and Goals… - Start by having multiple contacts in a company and hear different viewpoints so you are satisfying the C-suite and leadership teams, not just your one, internal contact. - Be involved in the client’s monthly, quarterly and annual goals. Know them, understand them and learn how you can help them reach those goals! - Speak the industry language and sound like you are the Marketing Director or VP of Marketing in their company. Deep dive into their industry and your clients will love you! 3. Provide Strategic Insights & Proactive Solutions… If auto-sending reports and then following up to have a meeting to read those reports in front of your client is your answer to client satisfaction, you are grossly failing. Yes, use the analytics, reports, etc. But provide value that reports cannot give. Convert that data into usable info and show clients how you plan to leverage that data, beat competition and gain more leads, clients and revenue. Be proactive and come up with creative ideas from those reports, make changes, communicate them and let the client know that someone is navigating their marketing with intent for the best ROI! These are only 3 ideas on how you can make your client’s lives easier. What other ways can you think of to make them your biggest fans? Join ⁠Ryan Parshall⁠ and ⁠Trice Alford⁠ for another "deep dive" agency topic. Learn more about our Marketing Agency Coaching and Brokering Services.

Make them come to you…Do what Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) Do. Position your marketing agency or business to win every day. There is a clear and proven path to success using today’s digital channels and that it is to be a Subject Matter Expert. Don’t think that this is for individuals, coaches and speakers only. It’s for agency owners, business owners, sales and really everyone in business today trying to get customers and revenue. So I’ve broken it down into 3 simple steps that when done right, makes your ideal customers come to you. Your days of chasing leads and an empty sales pipeline could be coming to an end. 1. Lead with Knowledge Don’t lead with talking about you, your services or products. Find out all the things that keep your ideal customer up and night and do daily and weekly posts and videos talking about how to solve those problems.. Hell, I’m doing this right now and you are reading it. Everyone wants more leads or better quality leads and this is how it’s done. You just have to stay consistent. Prove your worth and position yourself as an SME by giving your best advice to the world. It does give back and people reach out to you to help solve the problems you’ve proven you can solve. 2. Prove Your Expertise Solving a problem for the general business world or too big of an audience is the hardest way to get people to reach out, DM, email or call you. Your future customers don’t want a generalist. Guess who “Generalist” lose their business to…oh yeah, “Specialists”. Because at the end of the day, they want to work with someone who has been in their exact shoes, in their industry who truly understands them without having to educate them on your industry. Clients aren’t stupid! They know a general methodology, process or workshop does not truly solve their problems. So when doing posts, videos or on the next zoom call, you have to PROVE YOUR EXPERTISE by using examples of how you have solved similar problems with customers like them, in their industry in the past. Be a damn good story teller! 3. Build a Tribe You should be growing your network of your target audience by connecting on social media, commenting on posts related to your expertise, and your profile and links should all lead them to information about who you are. They should see KNOWLEDGE and EXPERTISE both very dominant in your title, description, background, groups, and absolutely destroy it when it comes to giving them the best ideal that you are an authority in your space. No half-ass’ing it!!! You have to have a volume of connections that see your posts and you need to make an impression with that audience with your material. Without the volume and without a tribe, your message falls on def ears and you will never see the right people reaching out to you. So BUILD THAT TRIBE by consistently connecting and posting. This is not the marketing departments or sales teams job only. They can help, but YOU are the SME. So stop procrastinating, don’t be afraid to fail and get out there. Your agency and team are counting on you!!! What is your Subject Matter Expertise and how do you show it off? If you want to learn how to identify, expose and promote you and your agency's SME, please contact me through www.healthybrands.biz. Please join Ryan Parshall and Trice Alford in Episode 28 of The Growth Engine Show and don't forget to Subscribe!

Do you know the answer? Can you answer what core problem your agency solves for your customers? Here's the problem with the first things that come out of your mouth? When I ask this question, the typical agency owner will start blurting out a whole lot of things for a lot of different types of customers. This spells danger for the future of the agency and makes selling your agency's services, really, really difficult. Why? Because the fastest growing, most profitable agencies can identify ONE core problem they solve for ONE type of customer. They become laser focused and begin a relentless pursuit to be the #1 agency to go to to solve that particular problem. THEN...right after they discover what core problem they solve for their customers, then you need to be consistent and persistent on promoting, creating content and proving that you are the best at it. Your agency's goal should be to provide an incredible amount of evidence that you are a subject matter expert at solving that core problem. The core problem you solve is NOT ABOUT YOU, the agency. It's ALL about your customer. Agencies love to talk about themselves their services, the results, all BEFORE they talk about their customer. Lock in and listen to what problems your customer is having and then lean in to how you can best help them. Relate to them first. Understand them and get on the same page. THEN you can speak about your strategy, processes, and other ways you would go about solving the problem. DO NOT start talking about you, your services, your results and how awesome you are. It's just too early to brag. If you truly understand what problem you solve, then you can be confident that you can do something that has more value, trust and respect than just "digital marketing services". Want to know what core problem you solve? Try asking your customers and you will start to understand how THEY SEE YOU! After-all, this is the first thing that attracted you to them. Watch Episode 27 of The Agency Growth Engine Show with Ryan Parshall and Trice Alford as we peel back the layers to uncover and discover the truths about the core problem your agency solves. If your agency or business would like to discover what Core Problem you solve for your customers, contact me at (816) 718-8018 or visit our website https://healthybrands.biz/

Stop being so negative! We always talk about the challenges of growing an agency. There's a lot of reasons to start or buy a digital agency...Let's GO!!!! Welcome to Episode 26 of The Agency Growth Engine Show where Trice Alford and me, Ryan Parshall decided to take a different spin on Agency Ownership! We always spend time talking about the challenges of owning, growing and selling digital agencies, but we haven't really stopped and talked about all the crazy, fun and rewarding sides of leading an agency. From fostering of a creative culture to snoring dogs, we got this topic covered. If you ever wanted to own an agency or currently do and want to kill 33 minutes, listen in! AND.....if you haven't watched any of our past shows, then please, Subscribe to our YouTube Channel or listen to our podcast on Spotify or iTunes. We love #agencylife and are here to help you grow, buy or sell your digital agency! Learn more about our agency coaching and brokering services on our website.

"I've had it with all the "Talk" about your agency losing clients and budget cuts. Yes, it's real, I know. But what did you do about it BEFORE it got this way?  I have a lot of empathy for going through tough times and challenges, However.... As an agency owner, you can flip the narrative...FOREVER!!! By making some fundamental changes in the way you think about and operate your agency.  Instead of trying to "sell" your services, you need to build an agency on some sort of deep industry expertise. By branding your agency to solve a specific problem for specific people, you can create "I WANT THAT" from your prospects and NEVER HAVE TO SELL AGAIN. I happen to be in a unique position to see hundreds of agencies and what those that are crushing it are doing vs. those crying the blues about economy, lost clients, and budget cuts.  The most successful agencies learn how to create "I Want That" and customers line up to get what they have to offer. The line goes outside and clear around the corner because they have something under high demand that they cannot get it anywhere else.  This is why it's so important to... 1) develop a deep expertise that others don't have 2) create processes and secret formulas around solving specific problem with that expertise 3) learning how to brand, package and promote that expertise I haven't sold in years, but I have found things that people WANT and NEED and I offer great solutions for them. Also, consider there is BIG difference between what people WANT and what they NEED. You must create something the WANT to weather the economic storm. You offer, SEO, Social Media, Paid Search, Design and Website Services. They may NEED those services. But they rarely WANT to spend money on such things. You have to make it sexy by matching real pains your clients are having with something that is very appealing to them and helps them through the pain and takes their business to a place that sound soooo enticing! By doing this, you create a bullish, growth mode for your agency through the hardest times instead of fighting for every dollar to make payroll. It's a fundamental change that Trice Alford and Ryan Parshall discuss in depth on Episode 25 of The Agency Growth Engine Show. Learn more about Healthy Brands Agency Coaching on our website. Watch all of our episodes and other great agency growth tips on our Healthy Brands YouTube channel.